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Where Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman ranks among 2024 NFL Draft QBs

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•02/02/24•

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Sam Hartman
Photo by Matt Cashore | USA TODAY Sports

A major reason Sam Hartman did not declare for the 2023 NFL Draft or stay at Wake Forest for a sixth season was to better his draft stock somewhere else. He chose to take on that challenge at Notre Dame.

Did it work? Time will tell. We’ll find out in April.

According to ESPN’s Jordan Reid in an article released Friday morning, Hartman is the 10th-best available quarterback in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. Here is Reid’s entire hierarchy followed by what he had to say about Hartman.

Jordan Reid’s top 12 quarterbacks for the 2024 NFL Draft

  1. Caleb Williams, USC
  2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
  3. Jayden Daniels, LSU
  4. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
  5. Bo Nix, Oregon
  6. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
  7. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
  8. Michael Pratt, Tulane
  9. Jordan Travis, Florida State
  10. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
  11. Joe Milton III, Tennessee
  12. Austin Reed, Kentucky

Reid has Hartman as a late Day 3 draftee, meaning Hartman will likely be picked up as a flier by a team in the fifth, sixth or seventh round. The last Notre Dame quarterback to get taken in the NFL Draft was Ian Book as a Round 4 selection of the New Orleans Saints in 2021.

Hartman is trying to become the sixth Notre Dame quarterback selected in the draft since 2000. He’d join Jarious Jackson (seventh round, 2000), Brady Quinn (first round, 2007), Jimmy Clausen (second round, 2010), DeShone Kizer (second round, 2017) and Book.

Here’s what Reid said about Hartman.

Where he excels: The ACC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (110) elected to finish his career in South Bend, an opportunity to show he could operate a traditional offense instead of the unconventional Wake Forest scheme. Notre Dame relies more on rhythm and timing and Hartman threw for 2,689 yards with 24 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions in 12 games.

“I’m so glad that he got out of that Wake offense because he wasn’t doing anything that projects to the next level,” said an AFC area scout.

Getting the ball out quickly hasn’t been a problem for Hartman, as he’s a quick decision-maker. But he has also been accurate on deep throws, even though he has arm strength limitations. Hartman had 11 touchdowns to one interception and an 88.5 QBR on throws 20-plus yards downfield this past season.

Part of the reason that Hartman transferred to Notre Dame was to gain experience in a pro-style system, and he looked comfortable operating from both shotgun and under center at the Senior Bowl. His accuracy in the short-to-intermediate areas was consistent all week in Mobile, Alabama.

Where he needs work: While he has had plenty of success in the pocket, pressure has rushed him into making premature decisions. When under pressure this season, Hartman completed only 45.5% of his throws, which ranks 71st in the FBS. He doesn’t have the playmaking ability to create extra opportunities outside of the normal structure of plays with any consistency.

Hartman also struggled a little pushing the ball down the field at the Senior Bowl. He will need to be in a system that’s predicated on rhythm and timing underneath, which matches his strengths as a passer.

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